Dhaka: Speakers at a view-exchange meeting on Sunday called for the government to allocate the newly announced Tk 60,000 crore stimulus package to capital-starved ready industries that are unable to commence production, rather than investing in chronically sick sectors. This recommendation was made during a pre-budget discussion with economic journalists organized by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami at the Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF) auditorium in Purana Paltan, Dhaka.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Professor Dr. Waresul Karim, Dean of the School of Business and Economics at North South University, delivered the keynote paper at the meeting. He detailed Jamaat’s fiscal vision aimed at restructuring Bangladesh’s socio-economic landscape. Dr. Karim referred to Bangladesh Bank’s recently announced Tk 60,000 crore recovery plan for 2026, arguing that channeling the funds under the proposed structure would not effectively create jobs. He emphasized that it would be more beneficial to finance operational and ready-to-produce industries currently stalled due to immediate capital shortfalls.
Dr. Karim further urged the government to decrease its dependence on indirect taxes like Value Added Tax (VAT), which presently accounts for 78.2 percent of the total revenue collection in the budget. “Because of this structure, the poor and the ultra-poor are forced to pay the same rate of indirect tax as the wealthy, which is aggressively widening income inequality in society,” he added.
The event was attended by Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar as the chief guest, while the party’s Assistant Secretary General and former MP, AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, presided over the meeting. In his speech, Mia Golam Parwar expressed the opposition party’s willingness to help the government strengthen the economy and reinforce the country’s financial drivers. He revealed that Jamaat has already organized several pre-budget seminars, and the compiled recommendations will be formally submitted to parliament through the party’s parliamentary group.
AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, in his presidential address, mentioned that the upcoming national budget will be presented by the first elected government following the July mass uprising. He urged the government to move away from debt dependency and avoid burdening citizens with additional taxes to deliver a self-reliant, discrimination-free budget.
Nurul Islam Bulbul, Ameer of Jamaat’s Dhaka City South unit, criticized the conventional budget-making process, stating that it reflects only the narrow perspectives of bureaucrats, leaving no room for public or political party participation. He warned that without aggressively containing institutional corruption, a larger budget would only lead to increased graft and wastage, stifling real development.
Other speakers at the event included Retired Senior Secretary Dr. AKM Kabirul Islam, Jamaat women MP Professor Nurunnisa Siddiqa and Sabikun Nahar, Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Additional Research Director Towfiqul Islam Khan, Executive Editor of Daily Naya Digonta Masumur Rahman Khali, Outlook Bangla Editor-in-Chief Lutfun Kabir Saadi, Bangladesh Post Acting Editor Sadrul Hasan, former ERF President Refayet Ullah Mirdha, and Former Vice President of ERF Shalahuddin Bablu.